Day 14 - Hampton Court to Richmond, 7.8m

We decided to start the Thames in the city when it didn't look like rain and the forecast temperatures were up to around 23 degrees C, but as our start date approached the forecasts got hotter and hotter.
That and to avoid the rush hour was why we found ourselves at Hampton Court Bridge at 8.30am.

Having crossed the bridge we walked along the river bank past the Palace and then on for 3 miles past the grounds.  We couldn't see into most of the grounds, but the path was pleasant and we could see houses and boats on the far bank. The boaters stopped talking to walkers around Oxford, but now we had reached Greater London, we noticed that the numbers who speak on the path had gone down to almost no-one.

After 3 miles we reached Kingston, where we managed to miss the signs and cross the bridge by a rather circuitous route.

Once away from the bridge, the route took us through a riverside park, then along a green path to Teddington Lock, which is absolutely enormous, though there is a smaller lock further over.

Then it was on towards Richmond, again along a green path, and to Ham House, a lovely National Trust Property right by the path, where we whiled away an hour or so in the tea room, gardens and house.

We reached Richmond about a mile and a half later before it got too hot to walk.